3) If medical wastes are not disposed of properly, the following could be a result to the environment and the people:
a) Pathogens can then breed in the waste and possibly infect animals that forage through the trash or contaminate the environment, including ground water and food sources.
b) When otherwise sanitary waste comes in contact with pathogens already in the environment, it may become a breeding ground
c) Though these wastes may be human tissue or blood, since they are no longer in the body, the body's immune functions are not present to keep pathogen populations in check. This can result in population explosions of pathogens that live on human tissue and blood. These populations may develop to sufficient quantities or mutate into forms that our immune systems cannot suppress. These populations could infect other animals that forage in waste, or they may contaminate the environment, including water and food sources.
Any kind of waste, if not managed properly, could do harm. That we must know. Especially medical wastes. Why? First of all, these are not just medical wastes--only a portion of the wastes generated by UHS and other hospitals are ordinary objects such as paper, cans, plastics--therefore, most often than not medical wastes should be avoided more so. The wastes and trashes they produce contains chemicals from lab tests and medicines as well as samples from sick people. In the same way that our mother tells us not to drink from a sick person's cup, we should also avoid residues from ill people because they might be contagious. That is why it is important to know about the UHS waste management programs.
If hospital trash would not be managed properly, people might get sick, as well as animals living in the area. The human body has antibodies that keep pathogen (disease-causing bacteria) population in control, but once the pathogens are released into the environment, they would grow unhindered.
